At least 121 people were killed in Brazil’s deadliest-ever police operation against drug gangs, authorities said on Wednesday. In Rio de Janeiro , residents reported finding dozens of corpses lining a street overnight following the massive crackdown.

State police said the raids targeting a major drug gang had been planned exhaustively for more than two months, and were designed to drive suspects into a forested hillside where a special operations unit was waiting in ambush.

“The elevated lethality of the operation was expected but not desired,” Victor Santos, head of security for Rio state, told a news conference. He also promised an investigation into any police “misconduct.”

Rio police confirmed 121 deaths so far, including four officers. Public defenders said the final count woul

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